Week 5

HEY Everybody!

Weird week. Not a lot going on. I actually don't remember a lot of it. We had days taken up with service and we had a specialized training meeting that took all day too. We went back to JP, the barber shop guy, and we thought that a good way to get more comfortable with him would be for me to pay him to cut my hair. So I paid him 16 bucks and he gave me the works, which was great because I have never been to a barber. He put this hot foam stuff on my neck, and it was like a hot tub just for my neck. He hasn't read from the Book of Mormon yet, but he promised us he would read before we came back so we're gonna go see him tomorrow. Besides that though we just had random stuff going on, and we filled the rest of the time with tracting but no one was interested. We had a crazy old guy yell at us and tell us to "GET" and that was pretty funny. Most people just open the door and say "I already believe Christ is my Savior, we're (input religion) so we're all set." Anyways, sorry for the short letter but this coming week we should have a lot more going on. We currently have a big risk game to get back to at the apartment, so I gotta get going.

 

Love,

Elder Holt

Week 4

YO!

 

Hello everybody. This week flew by, because there was a lot to do. We did a lot more service. We went and shoveled out goat poop out of a pen for a less active person in our ward. It was great, but I found out I'm also allergic to goats. Add that to the list of animals I'm allergic to, which is like, all animals. Anyway, as usual I don't have a ton of time, so I'm just going to tell you about a couple of the people we've been interacting with.

 

I don't know if I mentioned this, but a couple weeks ago we went to the Springville auction, which is  right across the street from our apartment. It's like a giant yard sale and people come and set up their spots. Oh and by "we" I mean all four of us that live in our apartment, Elder Allen (my companion), Elder Knudson, and Elder Klumker. We've had to do some 4 person visits this month because we are low on driving miles. Anyway, we walked around and I asked this one random guy how he was doing, and he was like "not good".  All four of us were taken aback because no one actually says "not good" to that question, so we talked to him and he had recently fallen off a two and a half story roof, while he was roofing, and he broke a wide variety of bones in his body. He also has had a bad past with ALOT of drug and alcohol use, so he is currently trying to get off of those. Also he told us that through his recovery he's been trying to "find God" and he went to a random church that he didn't really feel right about. What a coincidence huh? So he was very open to missionaries coming over to talk to him. Since we had to split the area though, the other two missionaries took him as the investigator, but Elder Allen and I have gone over with the other two a couple times. Long story short, he has a baptismal date for November 2nd, if he can get himself off of alcohol by that point, which will be hard because he's a functioning alcoholic, but he really wants to be ready by that date and I think he will. 

 

So as I said we had to split the area because there were only 2 missionaries here but now there are 4. So basically, it was easiest for the other two missionaries to take all of the existing investigators in the area, which means Elder Allen and I have started from scratch pretty much. I actually really like that because now its not like Elder Allen knows everybody and I don't. We're both on the same level. So we have been going out and proselyting and talking to people on the street, and last week we talked to this guy sitting on a bench outside of his barber shop. His name is JP, and he has had major drug problems too, but went to a religiously based rehab for two years, and now he is extremely spiritual and even has an addiction recovery program that he runs. He was really open to us, so we taught him a brief version of the restoration, and we went inside his barber shop for like an hour and half. He just reopened his barber shop because he's been gone for 3 years recovering from drugs and he doesn't have his customers back so he had time to talk to us. He's pretty young, and super cool. We left him with a chapter in the Book of Mormon to read and we're coming back next week. The cool thing is, is that while he was talking to us, he was telling us about this friend that he has, and he was like "yah my friend he's had a tough time, he fell off a roof a couple months ago". He was talking about Christian, and apparently Christian had talked to him about the Mormon missionaries meeting with him, and that got JP curious so he had googled Mormonism and that's why he was pretty open to talk to us. Its just kind of funny (and really cool) how the Lord has people prepared. Like how we talked to Christian right as he is trying to be more open to religion. There was no way he would have listened to us before his accident. That's what I've realized more this week, is that missionary work is about having the faith to find the people that are already prepared to hear the gospel, instead of trying to just convince people. Anyway, I will try to send pictures next week. I forgot my camera. Alright, till next week!

 

Love, Elder Holt

Week 3

HEY EVERYBODY

So crazy week but also a cool week. Oh and I appreciate all the emails! I'm having problems having the time to write everyone back, so send me your mailing addresses because I have more time to write letters during the week.

My current address is:

Elder Jared Holt

366 W Main Street Apt. #14

Springville, NY 14141

Alright anyways, so I flew to Rochester on Monday. I got up at 1:30 am, flew from SLC to Dallas, got on my Chicago plane, which was then delayed so we sat on the runway for an hour. I got to Chicago and missed my Rochester flight because of the delay, so I had to sit in the airport for 7 hours waiting for the next flight. Did I talk to any strangers? No, I was thinking about it but I wasn't in the happiest mood so there you go. I got to Rochester at like 12:30 at night, where President and Sister Francis picked me up. It was great to see familiar people pick me up. (Sidenote; I don't want to forget but happy upcoming birthdays to Brookie, Audrey, and Sammy) Anyways, the next day we got up (there were 5 other visa waiter missionaries assigned to Rochester), went to the Hill Cumorah,  Joseph Smith's house, and the Sacred grove. That was a really sweet experience. Then I had transfer meeting, got my companion (who I really like) and we drove with 4 other missionaries down to Springville, New York. Its 2 hours away from Rochester, and 40 minutes south of Buffalo. It's a really small town, everyone farms, and everyone is actually pretty nice to us. I'm in an apartment with 2 other elders. The next day, Wednesday, we went to this auction (its like a giant yard sale) where they had classic east coast cider donuts. That was really, really sweet. 

Alright so basically the rest of the week was taken up by meetings and service. We had to go back up to Rochester once for a training meeting, stuff like that. We do a lot of service, because everyone around here still heats their houses with wood, so they need help picking up wood, moving wood, other wood stuff. I'm running out of time so I'm just going to write the rest of my letter in bullet form. 

-Everyone calls me a city slicker

-The sky is bigger here. I don"t know how to explain it, but its huge

-I'm out in the country, so there are pretty rolling hills and plenty of farm land

-It is ridiculously green. Not just here, but everywhere in this part of New York. Like for reals. 

-Our branch is really small. I think only 60 people show up each week

-We spend a lot of time visiting less actives, because everyone gets offended by stupid stuff out here, and there is a lot of branch drama,  so people will stop coming to church to get attention, stuff like that

-I met a lady who was baptized in our Lynnfield ward in like 1989, she knew Bishop Chopelas. 

Alright well I really have to go. I wish I could tell you all way more but I don't have time. The Gospel is true. 

Love,

Elder Holt

President and Sister Francis and I

2nd Week

HEYO!

So this week was good. Actually last

Friday and Saturday were really, really long for multiple reasons. I was also sick so that didn't help. FOOD UPDATE: I now only eat cereal because the food has gotten old pretty quick. I used to only eat cereal anyways so its familiar. The time has been flying since the end of Sunday though. This week has gone by ridiculously quick, which is good because I need to get out of here. It's a prison. Just kidding. Its great and all, but I just want to get to Rochester already. Teaching the fake investigators have been good practice but you can only learn so much when you know its not real. 

Gym time is fun. So that's good. Personal study is my favorite time of the day, but I have to use a lot of that time preparing lessons for the investigators when I would rather just study the gospel. I've seriously learned so much though. I was all nervous because I thought I was unprepared for the MTC but everyone is at the same level. I'm way further with my understanding of things then from where I was a week ago. 

We went to the temple today. That was really cool too. I really like the Provo temple. 

Oh yah. So this week we had in-field orientation at the main MTC and Andrew was there, so I got to spend pretty much all day with him. That was really cool too. 

The jist of my letter is that everything is pretty much really cool. I am out of time though so I gotta go.

Love,

Elder Holt

First Week in MTC

Elder Andrew Jones and I

 

HEY HEY HEY

So the internet was down all day so I don't have too much time to write, but the MTC is great! I've been learning a lot and I'm already alot more confident in my teaching abilities. We're mostly just learning how our goal in teaching should be to help them make their own choices in becoming closer with Heavenly Father and to let the spirit convert them. I was made district leader so my extra responsibilities include getting the mail and making sure the elders make their beds. There are only 6 people including me in my district so its not too over-demanding of a job. Also, apparently I am the only elder in my whole zone that is going to the Rochester mission. Everyone else is going to Detroit, Texas, Seattle, and another place I can't remember. I got my travel plans today for when I leave the MTC, and I am in a travel party of 1. The good news is that this makes me group travel leader by default. (its an actual position) the elders in my district will be in a travel party of 9. Also I have  3 flights to get to rochester. 

So I've been drinking alot of chocolate milk. You can't just offer me unlimited chocolate milk and not expect me to take you up on it. Oh before I forget happy birthday Diana! And thanks for the MTC drop off. Anyway, I love my district, alot of really cool and funny guys. They"re all 18. My companion is cool. He's really quiet but I like him. So I was thinking that I would want more time in the MTC, but there is no way I want to spend anymore time here than the 12 days I'm supposed to be here. I love it but I just want to get out there already. 

OK for reals send me letters. Dear elders would be really really great. On dear elder make sure you you select MTC WEST CAMPUS because I'm in the new MTC. And if you decide to grace me with a letter put your email address in there so I can respond. I forget everyone's. 

Alright, well I love you all. The Gospel is true!

Love, Elder Holt